The move makes Gauthier the shortest-tenured (2010-12) Habs general manager in 70 years — the last one with such a short shelf life was Jules Dugal, who moved up from the coaching ranks to manage the club for the 1939-40 season.

Gauthier took over Montreal’s GM gig from Bob Gainey on Feb. 8, 2010 and made a number of player and front-office decisions. Here’s a look at some of the more noteworthy ones.

The defining moments of Gauthier’s regime will be the Halak deal (which Habs fans hated), the Markov contract (Montreal’s second-highest paid skater has played 15 games in the last two years) and naming Cunneyworth the Canadiens’ first unilingual head coach since Bob Berry in 1984.

What might stand out the most, though, is that Gauthier inherited a team that went to the Eastern Conference finals in 2010. Today, they’re the Eastern Conference’s worst team.

Gauthier’s experience (and Brian Burke’s) should be a cautionary tale. Being a good GM isn’t primarily about high profile wheeling and dealing. Its mostly about drafting well, patiently developing prospects and making targeted acquisitions via free agency and trade. And its about managing the team cap to allow for locking up core players. It isn’t usually sexy, but its what works.